


After Hours

by lilipoppii



Series: Short Stories: MX [8]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: F/M, but he doesn't want to be the middle man, crushing on wonho, kihyun ignores you, or influence your decision, wonho comforts you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:20:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26184832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilipoppii/pseuds/lilipoppii
Summary: When your boyfriend continues to put you last in his priorities you decide to go help Wonho out to close up his shop. Well, that was the plan.
Relationships: Yoo Kihyun/Reader
Series: Short Stories: MX [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1900846
Kudos: 7





	After Hours

Your legs were propped up on the top of your desk as you leaned back in your desk chair, your thumb slowly scrolling the page up as you read through the fanfic on your phone. Your computer was merely background noise as it played your ‘Daily Mix 1’ through while in your mind you were painting picturesque visions of romance. A ding from your Discord breaks through your concentration as you drop your legs to the ground to tab into the messenger to find out who had written you.

> **Hoseokie:** I still haven’t finished cleaning and I’m the only one closing
> 
> **Hoseokie:** So.
> 
> **Hoseokie:** I’ll be back

You set your cell off to the side as you read over the set of messages your friend had sent you. Friend being used loosely. You had been crushing on Hoseok since you both had reconnected not more than a month ago. He had caught you up on a bunch of the changes in his life like how he was the co-owner of the ramen shop _**5:14**_ , named for its strange dinner-only service, which he seemed to be struggling with lately. He had come up short-handed and the other co-owner was struggling with some of the employees there. 

> **________:** alright
> 
> **Hoseokie:** What is everyone up to?

You flip to your friends’ server that you all used to keep up instead of group text messaging since it was easier for everyone to understand. No one else seemed to be particularly doing anything today. Jooheon was out and about with Changkyun doing god-knew-what. You didn’t want to ask. They got themselves into trouble too often to keep up with at this point. Jihye, Hoseok’s best friend, had been radio silent for three days now. You figured she had at least talked to him but now you weren’t sure. Hyunwoo was busy at work while Hyungwon was overseas for school. So, you knew you didn’t really need to update Hoseok on them. It was still strange that he had asked you about them to begin with since they were all closer to him than you were. You were a bit of an outcast even in your group of friends.

> **________:** everyone seems busy… and I’m just reading…
> 
> **Hoseokie:** I see, I see

The conversation dies there for about 15 minutes and you’re already delving back into the realm of the world depicted in your phone when another ding comes from your computer. A frown pulls at your lips when you recognize Kihyun’s avatar blinking off to the side to indicate his message was the reason for the noise. 

> **CookingPhD:** I just got home from school. I’ll probably be too busy to make it to the movie night this Friday… sorry. Boss just told me.
> 
> **________:** Nothing we can do about it lol I’ll tell everyone...
> 
> **CookingPhD:** That’s true. Thanks.

Your mind pulls out what Hoseok had told you almost an hour ago so you quickly write to him once more.

> **_______:** Hey, have you finished cleaning yet?
> 
> **Hoseokie:** Nope
> 
> **_______:** How much do you have left?

Before he even had the indication of replying at the bottom of the messenger, you were standing and quickly pulling on presentable clothes. You knew where the restaurant was located like the back of your hand and you were already out of your apartment and standing just next to your car when his reply came through.

> **Hoseokie:** Like….
> 
> **Hoseokie:** A… Lot

You lock your phone and toss it into the passenger seat before you climb in and crank your car over. Part of you would like to say you would do this for any friend. If Minhyuk had called you to tell you he was alone cleaning up his parent’s game shop you would like to think you would run over at any hour to help him as well, but you knew that wasn’t true. The difference being, Min was quick on his feet and had far fewer things to clean in the game shop than Hoseok would in the ramen shop. You shifted the gear into drive and peeled out of the parking lot of your apartment complex, heading west down to Main Street before cutting over to University Boulevard. 

A few more hazardous turns and multiple pings on your phone, which you fought to glance at, and you were there. _**5:14** _ was a very sleek, modern themed building surrounded by shabby rustic exteriors that made it stand out even more. Inside, through the glass door, you caught your crush standing there with his chin propped up on the broom as he stared down at his phone screen. He seemed disappointed.

You grabbed for your phone and unlocked it quickly.

> **Hoseokie:** my employee that was supposed to help me clean was feeling sick
> 
> **Hoseokie:** so I had to send them home early
> 
> **Hoseokie:** it might take me a whileawhile to finish

You moved your eyes back up just in time to see him release a breath as he looked around the restaurant. He was clearly very tired. His loaded work day and being short-staffed was definitely weighing him down. You turn off your car and jump out of it before stopping just outside the glass entrance. He seemed to resume sweeping as he shoved his phone into the apron tied around his waist, his back turned completely away from you in dismay that you hadn’t bothered to respond to him at all. As he got closer, your own nerves heightened. Maybe you shouldn’t have come. 

He hadn’t asked you to. He clearly just wanted to share his thoughts with you, but there you were. You had dropped everything to race over here to help him, but what if he turned you away? When you blinked, Hoseok was staring at you in surprise. You picked up your hand and waved at him as he movesd to the door to unlock it. After you stepped inside he locked the door again before turning to you. “What are you doing here? It’s dangerous to go around alone at night.”

You offer a smile. “I’m here to help clean.”

He laughs and tightens his hands on the broom handle, “You didn’t have to.”

“It’s not like I was doing anything better,” you shrug your shoulders before reaching for the broom that he reluctantly lets you take from his hands. You ignore the way he watches you move around the restaurant sweeping things from under the tables to the pile he had formed in front of the counter. He doesn’t seem to falter for long, grabbing a rag from the kitchen before he moves around to wipe the tables and counter down. When the shock of your arrival wears off, Hoseok stops you again.

“Where’s Kihyun? How come you’re not hanging with him?”

You stop at your boyfriend’s name. Yes, you had been dating Kihyun for at least a month now more or less, but you never seemed to grasp the concept. He had asked to date you but had never made it seem like he was actually interested in the relationship at all. Even today, you knew that his work excuses were just a cover for him wanting to go over to hang out with Minhyuk since he never liked hanging out with your friends and also never made the effort for you both to have any time for yourselves. Out of the time, you two had been dating, you had had one date. At his house. Watching a movie only he liked. When you had fallen asleep part-way through he had gotten upset with you before telling you to leave. 

It wasn’t until a week later that you heard he had made you leave to hang out with Minhyuk on some online game. As if even you being in the room would’ve been too much of a bother. It had frustrated you so much that you screamed so loudly that Jihye had pulled you into a private call to ask about it. Figures that you would find out in the middle of a group call. Funny how he never stopped to wonder why or even think about what he had done. Why did he even want to date you, to begin with? Because Jihye had suggested it?

Hoseok steps closer to you and lifts your head that you hadn’t realized you had lowered in your swirling thoughts. “He seemed to be in the middle of a league game when I went to ask about why you weren’t responding to me…”

You jerked your head from his grip and sniffled, willing your eyes not to get as watery as they were before you moved to grab the dustpan to sweep up all the dirt and things you had piled on the floor. If he hadn’t been serious, why had he asked you? If he hadn’t been serious, why had he pretended to be? 

You feel warm hands grab the broom and dustpan from you before he turns you to face him again. The clear concern on his face is enough to allow the tears to break from your eyes as you stare up into his. Every ounce of anger, frustration, and sadness about your current relationship rolls out in fat rivers down your cheeks as you try to stop it. You grab at your shirt and wipe at your face before squatting down to keep your face hidden from your friend. This is not what you wanted to happen. Hoseok probably found you weird now. He would probably treat you so much differently now and you felt more tears rush out as the thought made your heartache. 

He waited silently. When your tears calmed and you could actually make out his face, you rubbed your eyes and stood back up. “He won’t even allow me into the call with him or near his place when he’s in the middle of gaming with Minhyuk or anyone for that matter, but more so with Minhyuk.”

The flicker of anger that rushes through Hoseok is bright and burning as the muscles in his arms jump in response to the expressions skirting over his face. “That’s not right,” he finally says aloud. “I shouldn’t say anything, but that isn’t right.”

You can hear the tears creeping back into your voice when you finally reply to him. 

“Don’t ask about it. It bothers me so much and I don’t wanna fight [ _with him_ ] about it.”

He calms visibly before pulling you towards him into a hug. “I wasn’t going to ask any more about it, It’s just - I’m gonna be quiet. It’s just wrong. He shouldn’t do that to you.”

Your sniffling stops his words. He clearly wanted to continue despite saying he wouldn’t and you felt even worse for him being the one to have to deal with all the mess of your relationship with Kihyun. “You deserve better,” he says softly, his eyes swerving up to meet your teary ones to gauge whether or not you had heard him. He watches as you sniffle while wiping your nose against the back of your hand before you laugh and push him away. 


End file.
